HEY GUYS!!
Thanks so much for the reviews!! I love them all!!!
Quick AN though: I said before that Brucas were dating four yrs. before they got engaged, I meant to say that it was three and then they were engaged for a yr. before getting married..
OK! Thanks again for R & R. Hope you enjoy the UD! (Nice long one for u ;) )
Damage
Chapter 2
'But You Promised'
"Instead of asking 'How much damage will the work in question bring about?'
Why not ask 'How much good? How much joy?'"
- Henry Miller
"Oh My God" Brooke whispered excitedly, causing Lucas to smile "This place is perfect" Lucas nodded, throwing his arm around his fiancé as they followed their short, balding realtor, George, around the large house
"So that's it, I think I've shown you every room" They stepped back into the living room
"I love it" Brooke chirped ecstatically as Lucas chuckled "It has all that extra space for..."
"Kids?"George suggested, smiling at the happy couple "Do you plan on having any?" Lucas wrapped his arms around Brooke's waist
"The second she says 'I Do'" He didn't take his eyes of Brooke whose smile widened at his words "Wanna fill this place with kids with me?"
"If you play your cards right" Lucas leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her neck, she bit her lip"Good start"
"So when's the big day?" Brooke looked back at George, having completely forgotten he was in the room
"Two Months" She smiled as Lucas bent down to kiss her neck again
"The longest two months of my life" He groaned, not looking up
"I will give you two a moment" George nodded at Brooke before walking out of the room, Brooke giggled
"Lucas" She swatted his head away from her "Could you be more embarrassing?"
"Since when were you so scared of PDA?"
"Since never, but were trying to buy a house here"
"It's not my fault if my future wife is insanely sexy"
"Well my future husband isn't too bad either but I manage to keep my hands off him" Lucas kinked an eyebrow
"Are you calling me sexy?"
"Maybe"
"Well then, we make quite a pair"
"Luke, be serious"
"I am serious, we are a very good looking couple" Brooke scoffed
"I mean about the house" Lucas sighed
"Do you really like it?"
"I LOVE it, look baby, I know it's a little out of our price range but with the fall line about to hit shelves we could have it by next month-"
"Brooke, I don't think you need to worry about that"
"Worry about what? Luke I REALLY want this house"
"Then it's yours"
"What?"
"I already bought it"
"WHAT!?!?!"
"I knew you'd love it so I bough it for you, I wanted it to be a surprise so I pretended we were just coming here to 'see' it"
"LUCAS!!! THAT IS AMAZING!" She threw herself into his arms and Lucas laughed, holding her tightly against him
"You deserve the best Brooke Davis"
"You are the best Lucas Scott" She smiled playfully
"I'm serious Brooke, I want to give you everything and anything you've ever wanted" Brooke eyes shone at the man she loved
"You already have" She pulled him down into a searing kiss "but how did you get the money?"
"That's the other part of the surprise"
"Ah-ha?"
"You know the company that published 'From Ravens to Devils'?"
"Yeah?"
"Well their setting up an office here in Tree Hill and they offered me a job" Brooke looked at Lucas in surprise
"Baby, that's amazing!!"
"They want me to go in search of new 'fresh' talent and work with different writers to improve their ability so that we can then go on to publish their books"
"It's sounds Perfect" Brooke wrapped her arms around Lucas once again "I'm so proud of you" she pulled back to look at his face "You've come so far and now this, it's like a dream come true" Lucas smiled, gently running a finger over the outline of one of Brooke's dimples
"Having you is a dream come true Brooke, the rest is just life" Brooke placed her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat
"I love you so much Broody" Lucas smiled, pulling her closer
"I love YOU so much Pretty Girl" And neither of them ever wanted to leave that moment because their life was so perfect they couldn't imagine it was possible to get any better
She couldn't open her eyes, they were weighed down by exhaustion, she could hear muffled voices but couldn't quite seem to make them out, a slow beeping came from her left. All she could think about was the dream, the memory she had had. He had been her Lucas only hers how had he betrayed her so easily? She hated herself in that moment because she knew, no matter what happened she would always be in love with him or at least the old him. The Lucas that would do anything for her, the Lucas who encouraged her to go after her dreams, the Lucas who didn't mind looking like an idiot to make her happy, the Lucas who would sooner die than betray her. No matter how much she hated him she knew he would always hold a piece of her heart and she hated it because that piece now held so much pain it threatened to rip her to shreds. He used to have her whole heart, no matter what... Turns our there were conditions. 'You can have my heart, just don't break it' it sounded like such a corny tag line but it was the truth, they had six amazing years together, six years she wouldn't trade for the world yet she couldn't help but consider if all this pain was worth it. If she had the chance would she go back and refuse his proposal to become his girlfriend? Would she have walked away the day of the first game and never have become his friend? Would she have joined the masses in their social attack against the hated brother of Nathan Scott?
The voices around her started to become more coherent and she wanted to groan as she recognised one to be that of the same man she couldn't keep out of her head.
"What if something happens Hales?"
"Nothing will happen Luke, she will be fine" The soft voice of her best friend comforted her a little, she wasn't alone with him. Haley would look after her, she knew she would.
"But-but what if she's not? This is all my fault, we were fighting" Damn right we were "and then she just collapsed"
"You need to stop worrying"
"How can I? If something happened... I-I would die, I can't live without her" A bitter laugh rang out inside Brooke's head at this, Lucas had always been all talk, sure he had his moment where his actions were flattering or romantic but his words were always what charmed his way into peoples hearts. And she had believed them, every word that ran off his lips for six years, she had believed, she had been naïve, stupid and she hated herself just that much more for it. She wondered if Lindsey had been his only infidelity or whether she was just the latest of a long line of conquest. She wondered if Lucas had ever really been faithful, had she just been the show pony girlfriend then wife while he banged everything with a pulse on the side? Had he ever really loved her? Her heart stung as she thought about this, she had given him everything, her heart, her soul, her love, she would have done anything for him and to think he never really cared, it was unbearable. It hit her that she needed to ask him why, she needed to know why she wasn't worth of his love, what had she done wrong to make him want to hurt her so much? But she couldn't open her eyes, she couldn't open her mouth and fatigue was quickly settling over her body, so before she had the chance to ask him any of the questions she desperately needed to ask her mind had already slipped back into the realms of darkness.
"BROOKIE!!" A small brunette boy came bounding toward nine year old Brooke in the play ground
"Julian!" Brooke chirped back just as excitedly "How was your weekend?"
"Boring" Julian grouched, crossing his arms whilst taking a seat on the swing next to Brooke's "because I didn't get to spend time with you" Brooke giggled
"I missed you too Jules"
"Your my bestest friend Brookie"
"Your my best friend Julian" Brooke smiled as a dark haired boy and a girl with curly blonde hair walked up to them "Peyton! NATHAN!"
"Hey Brooke" The two said in unison
"Why are you talking to him?" Nathan added, crinkling his nose
"Because he's my best friend"
"I thought I was your best friend?" Peyton asked, looking hurt
"Your my best girlfriend silly, Julian's my best boyfriend"
"What am I?" Nathan asked, offended that he wasn't included in the triangle
"Your Nathan" Peyton giggled and Brooke joined in
"But he's gross Brooke" Nathan looked at Julian before shaking his head "He'll give you cooties" Brooke looked shocked
"Julian does not have cooties!!" She screamed "look" she leant over and pecked Julian on the cheek, Julian went red as Peyton howled with laughter and Nathan looked on in shock
"Brooke and Julian sitting in a tree!" Peyton laughed as Julian smiled at the thought of his first kiss.
She felt less exhausted now, still tired but not enough that she was going to pass out again. The room was silent, she opened her eyes to be greeted by bright white lights, she winced, closing her eyes before slowly opening them again, she groaned when she realised she was in hospital. "Brooke?" She heard Haley and looked up at her friend
"Hey" Her voice came out at barely a whisper, Haley stepped forward, grabbing water from next to her bed before sitting next to Brooke
"You must be thirsty" Brooke held up a shaky hand as Haley helped her down the drink, the water felt good against her throbbing throat and she nodded in thanks, even before Jamie, Haley had always been the mother of the group. "You really scared us tigger"
"Way to be dramatic Tutor Mum" Brooke looked around and only then noticed all the people she loved in the room her eyes passed from Rachel, leaning against the wall, she winked when Brooke looked at her and Brooke returned the gesture, to Jake standing with an arm wrapped around Peyton, to Nathan looking at her with worry then they finally landed on Lucas, who was sitting with his head in his hands, he looked up and Brooke felt as if she had been kicked in the stomach "I'm going to be sick" she whispered, giving Haley just enough time to grab the small bucket by the bed so that Brooke could empty the contents of her stomach into it. Everyone in the room crinkled their nose as Haley placed the bucket back next to the bed before offering Brooke some more water, which she gladly took
"Here" Rachel leaned over and offered Brooke a mint "For the taste" she shrugged as Brooke took it and everyone chuckled
"How long was I out?" Brooke asked
"About three hours" Haley answered
"What's wrong with me?"
"Were not sure yet, they were running some tests" Brooke sat up, regaining some of her strength, her eyes refocused on Lucas
"Get out" her voice was still weak but still had impact as it came out in a low growl, everyone looked at Brooke in shock
"Brooke, hunny, we know you were fighting but don't you think-" Brooke ignored Haley
"Get out" she hissed again, her eyes not leaving Lucas
"Brooke" he stood up, using his eyes to plead with her
"Get out right now or I will tell everyone what you did" Lucas froze as everyone looked between the two in obvious confusion. Before Lucas had the chance to say or do anything more, the door opened and a tall man with short brown hair and dark brown eyes, wearing a white coat walked in, looking down at his chart, he furrowed his eyebrows before looking up at Brooke and flashing her a crooked smile
"Well if it isn't Brookie Davis" Brooke's mouth dropped open
"Ju-Julian Baker?" Both Nathan and Peyton looked up as the mans smile widened
"I was planning to come and see you but it seems you decided to drop by" Brooke smiled for what seemed like the first time in forever
"What are you doing here?" She suddenly felt self-conscious, she could only imagine what she looked like after three hours lying in a hospital bed and vomiting, Julian had defiantly grown up over the years and she wasn't afraid to admit he looked hot. Brooke found it odd though because in six years she hadn't really worried about her appearance to the male gender, after all, she had Lucas who gave a crap about what other guys thought? Shaking the thoughts from her head she held out her hands, signalling to him, he walked over and wrapped her into a brief hug. On the other side of the room Lucas fumed with jealousy.
"I got a job here at Tree Hill hospital, your looking as beautiful as always by the way" Brooke blushed as Julian smiled down at her, it was true, she looked great, stunning even, he had thought about Brooke Davis a lot since he left and in his thoughts she would still be as gorgeous as always but never in his wildest dreams did he imagine she would grow up to be this beautiful
"So you became a doctor huh? wow"
"Yeah I know, it's pretty weird huh?"
"Wait" Haley cut in "How do you know each other?"
"Julian was my best friend up until grade six when he moved away" Brooke pouted, and Julian laughed
"Glad I was missed"
"Like crazy"
"Yeah dude, she didn't come out of the house for like a month" Nathan said and Julian whirled around to face him
"Nathan Scott" He held out his hand and Nathan shook it "Good to see you"
"You too"
"This is my wife Haley" Nathan introduced Haley who smiled politely
"She practically missed the whole summer after you left" Peyton said as Julian smiled, turning to face her
"Peyton Sawyer" He gave her a brief hug "And..." he looked at Jake expectantly
"Jake Jagielski, my boyfriend" The two shook hands
"And I'm Rachel" Rachel jumped in as Lucas looked on, watching Julian be introduced to his friends
"What's wrong with her?" He finally blurted, trying to bring the attention back to Brooke, he needed to know she was OK
"You would be?"
"Her Husband" Julian smiled at Lucas
"Brookie got married and I wasn't invited? I'm hurt"
"Were separated" Brooke snapped, not wanting to talk about anything to do with Lucas. Every head in the room snapped to Brooke at her words and Lucas hung his head. Haley looked between the two, she knew that things hadn't been easy on them lately but never in her wildest dreams had she imagined they would get separated. Sensing that he shouldn't say anything else on the subject, Julian looked down at his chart
"Brooke it seems that you suffered from a breakdown caused by stress, have you had a particular increase in stress lately?" Brooke looked coldly at Lucas before replying
"Yes"
"Well that is going to need to be cut back, luckily there doesn't seem to be any permanent damage" Everyone breathed a sigh of relief "But if you keep it up you can cause a lot of harm to your body"
"I think I know just the trick to ease some of that stress right now" She looked at Lucas "Leave" Lucas didn't move
"I-"
"Man, maybe it's best" Nathan said sympathetically and Lucas nodded, turning to go
"Wait" Brooke called after him and he turned around, a small amount of hope surged through him "Come here" Brooke eyes were cold on his but he moved towards her, she signalled to him to lean down and he did so that she could whisper in his ear "You get all of your stuff out of my house by the time I get home or I swear to god that I will burn it" He felt her place something in his hand before pushing him back, he turned, without looking anyone in the eye and walked out the door. Once out he opened his palm discovering that Brooke had slipped her wedding ring into it, tears begun to flow from his eyes as he walked out of the hospital, he had made a horrible, horrible mistake and would have given anything in the world to erase it.
"Hey HOT SHOT!!!" Lucas watched as the cheery brunette skipped up to him
"Uh, hi?" the girl smiled, flipping a piece of hair behind her ear
"I'm Brooke Davis" Lucas looked at the girl in confusion, he recognised her from the cheerleading squad and thought that this must be some form of joke, no one, especially cheerleaders, had given him anything short of the cold shoulder since he dared to join the basketball team.
"Hi, I'm-"
"Lucas Scott? Yeah, I know, I mean everyone knows really. The 'other brother' who dared to join Nathan's squad... Your practically a celebrity around this parts, well you would be if everyone wasn't too scared of Nathan to even mention your name, let alone talk to you" Lucas smiled at Brooke's bubbly attitude, she was beautiful, anyone could see that but he could tell that she also had a personality that would light up any room
"And your not scared of Nathan?" Brooke scoffed
"Please... Fourth Grad, who do you think beat up Tyson Mathews to get back Nathan's ball because Nathan was too scared to fight him?" Lucas chuckled
"I'm guessing you" Brooke nodded
"Damn right" Lucas laughed again
"Well, well, Broody's laughing.. I'm a miracle worker"
"Huh?"
"I've noticed you brood a lot, don't smile enough, I'm here to change that"
"You've noticed me?"
"Maybe" She winked at him "but I got to get to class handsome, see you at the game tonight?" Lucas nodded as Brooke skipped off to class, he hadn't realised till then that his heart was racing way past normal speed
As Lucas walked out Haley turned back to Brooke "Not now" Brooke whispered and Haley nodded in understanding. Julian looked back over at her
"Usually we would keep your here for observation but I'm thinking that might cause you more stress than your already under" he considered "I'll let you go as long as you promise not to stress out too much" Brooke smiled
"I promise"
"Okay and your going to have relax for the next week or so, no work or anything"
"But-"
"Brooke" Julian warned "it is vital that you not stress, anymore of this and you could cause a lot of damage" Brooke sighed, nodding
"OK"
"Good, now I would also suggest you stay at a friends tonight" Haley's head instantly shot up
"She can stay with us"
"Haley"
"No Brooke, no arguing, your staying with us" Brooke rolled her eyes, she knew Haley wouldn't take no for an answer
"Well that's settled, I have a few more patients to see" He paused "We should defiantly catch up Brookie, give me a call when your up to it" he handed her a card as she nodded
"Thanks Jules, I will"
Brooke walked into her room and smiled as she saw Lucas lying on her head, throwing a basketball in the air "Hey" She dumped her books on the table near the bed "How come your in her? Rachel's out there all alone" she laughed, Brooke's classes usually ran later than Lucas's so when they had agreed to meet in her dorm he would usually pass the time by hanging out with her room mate Rachel or watching TV in the lounge room, it was an odd occurrence that he would be lying on her bed starring into space
"I just needed some quiet time to think" Brooke dumped her bag on the chair next to the table and started going through it
"So you come to what is usually the loudest dorm room of all?" Brooke chuckled, thinking to the wild party they had had just two days ago. She knew Lucas wouldn't go back to his dorm, in fact he rarely spent anytime there at all these day's. He had been ecstatic when he first got to Duke to discover he would be sharing a dorm room with his brother rather than some stupid frat boy but now he paid it no mind, he and Brooke pretty much lived together in her dorm.
Lucas didn't say anything so Brooke kept talking "It's so annoying because my mother is in Paris right now, unveiling my lines and I'm here learning how to design" She scoffed "how stupid is that? I mean the pay check helps but still, if it weren't for you, I would be on the next plane out of here"
"Well don't let me hold you back" Giving up on her bag, Brooke turned back to her boyfriend
"Hey" She walked over and sat next to him on the bed, tucking her knees underneath her "What's wrong?" Lucas sighed and put down the ball
"Brooke" he looked up into her beautiful hazel orbs and smiled meekly "I have HCM"
"What?"
"It's a heart condition" Tears sprung into Brooke's eyes instantly, and Lucas realised his mistake
"Pretty Girl, don't worry, it's not life threatening" Brooke let out a huge breath leaning down to place her forehead on his chest
"Don't scare me like that Luke" She kissed his chest before working her way up his neck and to his face "Don't you dare scare me like that"
"I'm sorry Pretty Girl...There is more though" Brooke pulled back and looked at him
"I have to stay on these tablets and they effect my performance" Brooke eyes widened
"Like you won't be able to get it up? Great, I'm going to be a nun at twenty two" Lucas burst into laughter, it always amazed him how Brooke could make him laugh even on his darkest of days
"Brooke, I mean basketball, I won't be able to play basketball"
"Oh" She chuckled before the smile dropped from her face, realising what it meant "Oh"
"All my life, this is all I've wanted, basketball. We've spent nearly four years at this college and that's all I've done, tried to be drafted for the NBA. What am I supposed to do now?" Brooke looked into his broken eyes, this had been his dream, the one thing he had ever really wanted and it had been taken away from him. She would do anything to give it back to him, anything to take the pain out of his eyes but she knew there wasn't anything she could do but be there for him.
"Sit up" she instructed and Lucas followed her orders "Hands up" Lucas looked at her in confusion but followed orders. Brooke grabbed the hem of his shirt before pulling it over his head, Lucas couldn't believe it, he thought that Brooke would know him better than to think he would want to have sex right now, did she not understand that his entire world had been shattered? "Lie down" Lucas lay back down on the bed as Brooke reclaimed her seat
"Brooke I'm not really in the mood"
"Shutup idiot" Brooke scoffed "like that's what I'm doing" she reached out and started tracing a heart pattern over his heart "I know that this so hard and I can only imagine what your going through" Lucas closed his eyes, just her touch sent a calm through his body "but you are so much more than basketball Lucas Scott and I know that doesn't mean much but it's true. You are so much more" she continued to trace the pattern "Your a great brother, friend, son and an excellent boyfriend. Your funny, smart, brave, strong and you are a great person. Your the man I love, the only man I love" She leant down and placed a kiss over his heart "and I know that there is nothing I can do to make this better but I'm here for whatever you need" Lucas opened his eyes, staring up at Brooke, realising that she had tears running down her face. He hadn't told anyone else about the HCM, he was scared to, but he knew that he could tell her, he could trust her to be by his side, to make him feel better when everything seemed to be falling apart. She was the love of his life, he didn't doubt it, she would cry with him when his dreams were shattered as he was sure he would if it were her. He was thankful it was him though, the pain of losing his dream would be nothing in comparison to watching her lose hers.
He reached up and wiped the tears away from his face before sitting up and pulling her into his chest "Pretty Girl" he gently kissed her temple "My physical heart may be injured but my emotional heart is perfect because of you, just you being here makes everything better, you make me feel complete. I'm lost without you, I don't need basketball as long as I have you" Brooke looked up at him and smiled
"You have me Luke, no matter what" Lucas leaned down to kiss her slowly on the mouth
"I'm glad Brooke, because you have my heart, I'm just sorry I have to give you it so damaged" Brooke shook her head before leaning down to once again kiss the place above his heart
"It's perfect" she whispered
Lucas knew then that he wasn't really losing the most important thing in his life, basketball had been that thing for so long that he hadn't ever truly realised that there was something so much more important in his life. He could lose basketball, he could lose his scholarship, he could lose everything but losing her would be unbearable, she was all that mattered to him now.
They lay together for hours on her bed, Brooke enjoying the sound of his heart beat while Lucas enjoyed the feeling of her in his arms.
And the next day he went out and bought a ring.
Nathan had Jake had offered to head over to Brooke's to get some stuff for her stay with Naley, sensing that the girls were in need of some 'girl' time. Haley wheeled Brooke out of the hospital, insisting on a wheel chair, much to Brooke's annoyance. None of the girls said anything to one another as they went through the car park, all waiting until Brooke was ready to talk. As they reached Haley's SUV Brooke jumped in the back so she could stretch her legs, Rachel jumped in with her whilst Haley and Peyton took up their spaces in the front. The second she was buckled in Brooke broke into tears, a steady flow ran from her eyes as she gasped for air. She hadn't had a chance to really cry yet, she had let tears fall in front of Lucas, she had cried all the way home after she had caught them, but that was minor to the river that threatened to fall and never stop. Lucas had cheated on her. Lucas had slept with another woman. Her relationship with Lucas was over. She would never feel safe or loved in his arms again. It hurt so much that she literally grasped her heart in agony. She didn't care about anything in that moment, she just wanted the pain to stop, she had managed to hold it back in the hospital but that was too much, it was too much to take. She felt hands wrap around her as Rachel pulled her into a tight embrace, she heard Haley whisper "Let's get you home" and the car start, she felt Peyton's hand leaning from the back seat to rest on her shoulder soothingly but nothing registered, all she could focus on was the pain, the tears and the numbing heartbreak.
"Hey Cheerleader" Brooke whirled around, smiling at Julian as he walked up to her
"Hey Bookworm" Brooke replied jokingly as they both started walking together
"So where are we meeting Nathan again?"
"By the school I think"
"And why exactly?" Brooke rolled her eyes
"It's Nathan, who knows? But I th-" Brooke felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to face a tall boy with scruffy blonde hair and piercing blue eyes, he looked at Brooke shyly
"Y-you dropped this" he held out a red scarf and Brooke looked at him surprise before smiling
"Thanks" The boy continued to stare at Brooke, making her blush
"I'm Julian" Julian jumped in, smiling politely at the new boy, Brooke giggled, nudging Julian in the ribs with her elbow
"Lu-" the boy spoke but was interrupted by a loud shout
"LUCAS EUGENE SCOTT!" Lucas face turned bright red as a brunette woman came stalking up to him
"Eugene" Brooke chuckled making Lucas turn even redder
"I TOLD YOU TO STAY INSIDE THE CAFE!!!" The woman yelled again
"But mum-"
"Don't you 'but mum' you are in so much trouble mister"
"Excuse me" Brooke spoke and the woman looked at her in surprise, having not noticed the two other children before her "but I dropped my scarf and he was just bringing it back to me" Brooke held up the red scarf as proof and the woman's face softened
"Oh" She nodded "you still shouldn't have left the cafe"
"I was coming straight back" Lucas promised and the woman sighed
"Well I guess that's OK then, just don't do it again" Julian nudged Brooke
"Were supposed to meet Nate in five minutes" Brooke nodded and the two were about to turn and go but the woman stopped them
"Aren't the two of you a little young to be out alone at this time?"
"Were twelve and it's only eight thirty" Brooke sighed
"Mum" Lucas whined "Their my age and their allowed out past eight" Brooke stifled a laugh earning her a nudge from Julian
"I don't care what their allowed to do Lucas, you are not allowed out past eight, especially on a school night, now say goodbye to your friends I want you in the cafe in five minutes" The woman turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving a very embarrassed Lucas. Brooke burst into laughter
"So your not allowed out past eight?" Lucas hung his head before shaking it
"Never?" Julian questioned and again Lucas shook his head
"That sucks" Brooke chuckled "We gotta go, but runback to mummy" Lucas waved before turning to walk back down the street
"HEY WAIT!!" He heard the girls voice and turned around, she smiled at him sending butterflies that Lucas didn't understand, into his stomach "Thanks for my scarf"
"No problem"
Julian and Brooke walked away "Did you have to be so mean Brookie?" Brooke rolled her eyes
"I wasn't being mean" She scoffed, before looking down at her watch "were late" she smiled a mischievous glint entered her eye "race ya!" She called as he took off at full speed towards the school, Julian shook his head before running after her.
It wasn't until they were almost all the way back to Haley's that Brooke finally managed to calm down enough to speak.
"I'm-I'm sorry" she whispered and Rachel shook her head
"You have nothing to be sorry about Brooke" Brooke tried her best to wipe her tears away but they continued to flow evenly down her face
"Yeah B. Davis" Peyton added "were here for you" Brooke nodded slowly before leaning her head on the window, the exhaustion of the day and all the crying was getting to her and she wanted desperately to just climb into bed and never get out. Rachel, Haley and Peyton exchanged glances, they all wanted to help Brooke but had no idea what was going on, none of them had ever seen Brooke so sad before in their lives and it scared them. A few moments of silence passed before Brooke finally spoke
"He cheated on me" she whispered and the car jerked violently as Haley accidentally slammed on the break nearly causing a pile up, beeps sounded all around but Haley ignored them, recovering from the initial shock before taking off again
"Sorry" she mumbled gravely
"What Brooke? Are you sure" It was Rachel who asked the question they were all thinking Brooke nodded, closing her eyes for moment
"H-He's been sl-sleeping with Lindsey an-and god kno-knows how many others"
"The Secretary?" Peyton asked
"Ye-yes" more sobs erupted from Brooke as her body jerked violently, Rachel's face had turned sour, Peyton's starred wide eyed at the road in front of her and Haley gripped the steering wheel so hard her knuckles had turned white "I-I was gong to have lunch with him an-and an-d..." She couldn't finish the sentence and Rachel reached out to run her hand soothingly over Brooke's back
"I'm going to kill him" she muttered angrily causing Brooke to look up
"N-No Rach, don't make thi-this worse"
"Worse Brooke? The guys an asshole" Peyton lashed out as Brooke sobbed harder, Haley remained silent, she was stunned. She had been friends with Lucas for forever, she knew he had been a player, she hadn't liked it but it was who he was and it was her understanding that every girl that slept with him knew what they were getting themselves into. Lucas Scott didn't do relationships, that was until Brooke Davis came along.
Haley had noticed the change almost instantly, sure he still slept around but it was nothing like it was before. In the past he would never miss an opportunity for a good hook up but after he met Brooke, Haley had seen him drop countless woman just to rush off and be with her, even if all she needed him for was a lift to a party or help with English homework. Somehow the two had a connection that couldn't be explained, not once had Lucas ever tried any of his usual moves on Brooke and in return Brooke had never tried once to seduce Lucas into being one of her infamous one night stands. Haley had laughed about it then, the two were complete opposites aside from the one fact that they enjoyed 'benefits' minus the friends just as much as each other.
As Brooke and Lucas had become fast friends, so had Haley and Brooke so much so that by the end of junior year the two were practically inseparable. Senior year Brooke had settled down, getting herself a steady boyfriend, Chase, the two had been very happy together. Lucas on the other hand had continued in his ways well into college, Haley thought that a lot of it had to do with Brooke and Chase deciding to keep a long distant relationship even after Brooke had followed Haley, Nathan and Lucas to Duke. But Lucas had always been there for Brooke, asking for nothing in return but her friendship, holding her hand when Chase had decided that it wasn't working and staying home with her on the nights when she needed a friend and couldn't be bothered going out. Haley loved Lucas, she did, but she had always hoped that the two would remain close friends forever, she honestly didn't trust Lucas with Brooke's heart but she gave him the benefit of the doubt and when they had gotten together she had been happy for them silently pulling Brooke aside just to warn her about Lucas. Brooke had beamed at Haley, thanking her for being worried about her but assuring her that she knew what Lucas was like and was willing to give him a chance and that was that, they were together. When they had got engaged Haley had asked Brooke to wait till she was older, a hypocritical comment coming from a girl who married in high school but she couldn't help but look out for her friend. Brooke had once again thanked Haley telling her that she couldn't wait any longer to spend the rest of her life with the man she loved.
Lucas hadn't faltered once though and everyday Brooke gushed about what a great fiancé and then husband he was Haley would smile glad that she hadn't given Brooke enough of a warning to scare her away from her best friend forever. Now, sitting in the car and listening to Brooke she couldn't believe it, he had actually had her believing that he would never do anything so hurtful to Brooke, how had she been so stupid to trust him? She could only imagine what Brooke was going through.
"I-I still love him" Brooke sobbed again "I-I wish I-I didn't, I-I hate him too bu-but I-I still love him" Haley nodded slowly
"We know hunny, but were here for you"
Brooke trotted down into her favourite patisserie, thanking her lucky stars that there was no line, she had already stopped to pick up Lucas's favourite meal from the deli down the street and now she wanted to grab his favourite sweets for desert, looking up at the woman behind the counter, she beamed
"Could I have two of the chocolate eclairs and that Strawberry Gateau please?" she paused, it was Sunday, Lucas had had to go in early for a meeting with one of his writers then relentlessly go through his book piece by piece but she wasn't sure if Lindsey would be in to, deciding it was better safe than sorry she grabbed the attention of the sales girl again "Um, sorry could I make that three eclairs please?" Lindsey worked hard and if she was working on Sunday, she deserved a treat. As the girl behind the counter busied herself getting Brooke's order, Brooke grabbed out her phone and dialed Lucas's number
"Hey it's Lucas Scott, I probably can't get to the phone right now because...
"WERE HAVING SEX!" Brooke recognised her own voice in the background and giggled, they had made that voice message in college and he still hadn't changed it
"Pretty Girl, shhh..." there was a hint of playfulness in his voice "anyway, you know what to do" the beep sounded and Brooke laughed again
"Hey Luke, It's your wife, remember me? Dark hair, hazel eyes, incredibly sexy? Anyway, I know things haven't been great with us lately and I know I have been working heaps and not been the nicest person to live with but I wanted you to know that no matter what I still love you. Life's too short for us to be unhappy and your the only person that makes me happy so I'm coming to you and I'm bringing goodies. I'll be at your office in about five so be prepared mister.
I Love you.
Till forever
Remember that
See you soon."
She hung up the phone and smiled to herself
"Hey" Lucas looked up from his paperwork at the blonde standing in front of him
"Lindsey" he said gruffly "I said you could go home" Lindsey chuckled
"Oh I know, you just look all sexy when your angry"
"Lindsey your crossing the line"
"That's not what you said last time" She smiled, walking over to move the papers out from in front of him before sitting herself down on the desk, Lucas moved back instantly
"Stop!" He roared
"What's the matter Luke? Nervous about your first affair?"
"I am NOT having an affair" Lindsey nodded her head
"Yeah you are, remember when we slept together? That's what you call an affair" Lucas ran a hand through his hair
"I-I was drunk and that was a HUGE mistake" Lindsey shrugged
"Regardless, you still didn't mind fucking me while poor old wifey was sitting at the home waiting for her loving husband"
"I didn't know what I was doing"
"Oh you knew Lucas, trust me you knew" Lucas phone rang and he went to reach it but Lindsey snapped it away before he could, she looked down at the phone "Pretty Girl???? Aww... how sweet" she slid the phone off the desk as it stopped ringing "Obviously Brooke hasn't caught on to the fact that you just don't love her all that much"
"STOP IT!" Lucas screamed "DON'T YOU DARE! Don't you dare say her name! I love her with all my heart" Lindsey let out a shrill laugh
"In my experience Lucas, people who love their wives don't cheat" Lucas sighed in exasperation and Lindsey took it as her chance, getting up she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly on the neck, Lucas pulled back
"Get out" he snarled "get out, pack your things and leave"
"Your firing me? Somehow I don't see that happening"
"Oh it's happening, now go!" He bellowed
"I'll tell Brooke, you know I will" Lucas closed his eyes
"I'm going to tell her anyway, she deserves to know"
"Your going to lose her, you know that right?" A tear slipped down Lucas's cheek
"Maybe it's for the best, she deserves better than me" Lindsey nodded
"Yes, she does, but I don't get why you then want to turn me down, I mean your losing her anyway right? Why not make it fun" Lucas let out a frustrated cry
"I'm not going to lose her"
"So your not going to tell her?" Lucas hung his head
"I-I don't know... b-but.. I need to" Lindsey cackled
"You know what, you shouldn't tell her, that's the selfish option. The only person it will be hurt is her, what she doesn't know won't hurt her but you telling her will kill her and the only person that it will help is you because you will feel less guilty. You've already cheated on her Lucas, it's too late, there's not going back, I can honestly say that I wish I had never done it, your wife seems lovely but we did what we did and it's done. You chose to sleep with me and I chose to let you but it's to late now, were both adulterers-" Lucas had to shut her up so before he knew what he was doing he had pushed her back onto the desk and climbed on top of her, yanking his own pants down before pulling up her dress he delved into her. Lindsey let out a moan reaching up to kiss him but Lucas moved away "I belong to Brooke" he snarled "I belong to Brooke and you don't get my lips on yours, you don't get me, this is all you get" he thrust into her again, without looking her in the eye to prove his point. They continued like that for a moment or two, Lucas staring adamantly at a spot on his desk before he heard a noise from the door and looked up.
She was standing there, a bag of what seemed to be food dropped at her side, the contents spilling out. Lucas's heart dropped the second he saw her, she looked between him and Lindsey a few times, like a child that didn't seem to quite understand the concept of their favourite cartoon animal dying, then her gaze landed on Lucas and pain ripped through him as he saw the look in her eyes. There was more sadness and devastation in her eyes than he had ever seen in a human being and knowing he had caused it was killing him. She stared at him her breathing uneven, her face completely broken, her eyes dull as if void of emotion, from the looks of it she was shaking.
Completely frozen everyone stayed exactly where they were as silence settled over the room
"Brooke" Lucas finally let out in a low whisper and Brooke's eye refocused as if registering the scene one more time before she turned on her heel and ran for dear life out of the office and to the elevators. She clicked the button furiously and it opened just in time for her to slip inside but Lucas was hot on her heels. He went to step in the elevator after her but her hand came flying out and a moment later his face burnt with the sting of the slap, she starred at him her eyes already red from the tears behind them and he understood that following her into the elevator would be the most selfish thing he could do right now, so he let the doors close and as soon as they did he fell to the floor and cried. Lucas Scott had only ever cried a handful of times in his life and none of those times had ever been compared to this, he had lost everything, he had promised he would never hurt her and instead he destroyed her.
As soon as the elevators close Brooke fell to the ground as tears wracked her body, she couldn't believe it. Lucas would never do that to her.
But he had and the pain of it all was too much for her heart to bare.
OKAY!! So all you Brulian lovers are probably complaining about the lack of Brulian but Brucas has a lot of history that i have to cover in order for you guys to ultimately make your choice between the two for who you want to be endgame.
Never fear we will have more Julian present + Flashbacks soon!
Thanks for reading!
Let me know what you think!
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